bird's-eye

American  

[burdz-ahy] / ˈbɜrdzˌaɪ /

adjective

1. seen from above, as by a bird in flight; panoramic.

   a bird's-eye view of the city.

2. omitting many details; broad; superficial; general.

   a bird's-eye view of ancient history.

3. having spots or markings resembling the eyes of a bird.

   bird's-eye tweed.

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noun

plural

bird's-eyes

1. any of various plants having small, round, bright-colored flowers, as a primrose, Primula farinosa, or a speedwell, Veronica chamaedrys.

2. Textiles.

   1. a woven, allover pattern on fabrics, characterized chiefly by small diamond shapes resembling the eyes of a bird.

   2. a fabric having this pattern, especially a cotton used for diapers or a linen used for toweling.

bird's-eye British  

adjective

1. 1. seen or photographed from high above

   2. summarizing the main points of a topic; summary (esp in the phrase bird's-eye view )

2. having markings resembling birds' eyes

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noun

1. a Eurasian primrose, Primula farinosa , having clusters of purplish flowers with yellow centres

2. the usual US name for germander speedwell

3. any of several other plants having flowers of two contrasting colours

4. a pattern in linen and cotton fabrics, made up of small diamond shapes with a dot in the centre of each

5. a linen or cotton fabric with such a pattern

Etymology

Origin of bird's-eye

First recorded in 1590–1600; bird + 's ¹ + eye

Example Sentences

He shifts effortlessly between bird’s-eye panoramas of battles and empires and close-up historical family dramas or images of himself rumbling along in a truck on dirt roads to visit the sites where things happened.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 19, 2025

Only one small piece of the house remained: a brick fireplace with its chimney, situated near windows with bird’s-eye views of the Pacific Ocean below.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 5, 2025

"The bird's-eye view from drones gives us a huge boost in situational awareness," explained a spokesperson from the LFB.

From BBC • Aug. 13, 2025

You have a bird’s-eye view in some scenes.

From Salon • Jan. 9, 2025

It dawned on me that a clearer trajectory through this morass would consist of zooming in from a bird’s-eye view to increasingly microscopic components.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

Related Words

• across-the-board
• all-encompassing
• broad
• comprehensive
• exhaustive
• extensive
• radical
• thorough
• wholesale